Location

This whimsical mural provoked a local controversy in 1991-92 when city officials cited City Bikes, which owns the building and commissioned the art, for illegal advertising. City Bikes' owner Robin Stallings rented space to Ben & Jerry's with the proviso that the ice cream corporation would spring for a mural; as a white businessman, he was careful to enlist support from the mainly Latino community.

The design was approved in advance by local advisory groups, and residents were delighted with the bright picture. When a D.C. building inspector labeled the mural an ad and slapped the small business with a stiff fine, the community protested. The press picked up the story, the city backed down, and Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly wrote Stallings a letter of apology.

Contributed by: American Dreams & Associates